kershaw



UNITED STATES PATENT @FFME E. KERSI-IAW, OF BOSTON, MAS-SAOHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND I-I. N. HOOPER & CO.

CELL-LOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent No.

To aZZ whom t may concern Be it known that I, EDWARD KERsHAw, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improved Locking Apparatus for Prison- Cells; and I do hereby declare that the same is fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, letters, ligures, and references thereof.

Of said drawings, Figure 1, exhibits a front elevation of a series of cell doors having my invention applied to them; Fig. 2, is a transverse and vertical section taken through one of the doors and the opening in the wall to which it is applied; Figs. 3 and 5 are side views of the main and secondary bolts to be hereinafter described. Fig. 4, is a representation of the mechanism used for throwing the bolts.

In these drawings, A, A2, A3, represent a series of doors applied to corresponding cell openings C, C, C, of a wall B, each of said doors being hinged to its opening in the usual way, or in other words, made to turn on journals represented in dotted lines at a, a, in Fig. 1.

To the left hand upper corner of each door there is fixed a projection or stud D, and directly over these projections and near to the face of the wall B, there is placed a long main locking bolt E, made to slide longitudinally in supporting bracket-s F, F. This bolt is provided with a series of notches Z), Z), Z), which operate respectively with the studs D, D, D, or pass direct-ly in front of, or beyond said notches during the sliding movements of the bar E. These notches are so arranged that when the said bar has been moved so as to carry either one of them directly in front of its stud D, each of the remaining notches shall come directly in front of its stud, all the doors by such operation being unlocked.

When the bolt E, is retracted or drawn back, the doors willbe locked. In order to move the bolt longitudinally it is furnished with an arm c,'which extends down from `one end of it and is provided with a notch cZ,

14,178, dated January 29, 1856.

moved in longitudinal directions, its movements being effected by means of a geared lever f, turning on a fulcrum g, and moved by a pinion gear Zt, arranged as seen in Fig. et, such parts as well as the arm o, the cam c, 'being disposed within a box or case I, affixed on the wall B, in position as seen in Fig. 1. The cover z', of said box is Vprovided with a horizontal slot 7s, through which a stud or index pointer Z, projecting from the bar H, is made to extend and to operate in concert with a divided scale, m, arranged, divided and marked 1, 2, 3, as seen in Fig. 1.

The bar H, is furnished with notches 0, 29, g, there being one of them to each cell door. These notches are larramg'ed in the bar in such manner that when the index pointer Z' is brought directly over the division marked 3, on the scale m, the notch marked, g, shall be directly over the stud D, of the first cell door A3, the other notches under such circumstances being aside of their respective studs D, as seen in Fig. l. Under this state of things supposing the bolt E, to be in a situation to permit all the doors to be opened, the 'door A3 only can be opened as the bar H, will close or lock both the others, A and A2. The further arrangement of each notch 0, p, with respect to the other is such, that when it is directly over its stud D, the remaining notches or the others shall be on one side of their respective studs D, so as to prevent the doorsthereof from being opened. The divisions on the scale m, are to be arranged in such manner, that when the index, Z, is moved directly over any one of them, some one of the cell doors will be unlocked and all the rest locked, the front bolt, I-I, being not only for the purpose of unlocking any one of the doors and locking all the rest,

when the whole series is unlocked by the bolt E.

In order that all the doors may be unbolted at once, the bolt H is provided with another series of notches r, 7, r, they being represented in Fig. 1, by dotted lines, and they are so arranged that when the index Z, is moved directly over a notch, s, on the scale, the several notches, r, shall come directly over the studs D, D, so as to allow the doors to be opened, it being understood that the bolt, E, has been moved into a proper position to admit of the same.

In discharging prisoners from a rangeI of cells, it is often desirable to unlock all the cells by one movement of the bolt. This has usually been eifected by means of a studded bolt applied to and over the doors, but although With such a contrivance all the doors could be either locked or unlocked at once,

no one of them could be unlocked, While the others remained locked.

To effect the locking or unlocking of all the doors at once, as Well as to unlock any one of them While the remainder is locked requires, a bolt H, applied, operated and constructed With notches arranged essentially as hereinbefore specified. Y This bolt H, however, could not be used alone or to advantage Without the back bar E, because in such case should a prisoner be pressing against his door so as to force its stud against the bar he might open the door should a recess or notchof the bar be pass ing by the stud. The back bar serves as a protection to prevent such an occurrence as the prisoner can only press the st-ud against the back bar Which Will be stationary While the front bar is moved to open any other door.

By applying a key to the cam E or the pinion, h, either of the same may be rotated so as to put in motion its bolt, H, or E, it being understood that the said cam and pinion are respectively provided With mortises, t, t, for the reception of such a key.

I do not claim the invention of a single locking bar or bolt so made and applied to the Wall above the door openings of a series of prison cells as to be capable by its longitudinal movement of either locking or unlocking simultaneously all the doors of said cells, but Y What I do claim is- The combination of the bars E, and H, having notches at certain proportioned distances as described, operating in connection with the studs D, on the cell door, in the manner set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my signature this eleventh day of September, A. D. 1855.

EDWARD KERSHAVV.

Vitnesses :V

R. H. EDDY, F. P. HALE, J r. 

